Warriors thump Hornets 128-92 for franchise’s 3,000th win
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry and Draymond Green scored 15 points each and the Golden State Warriors joined an elite group with their 3,000th franchise victory on Tuesday night, 128-92 over the Charlotte Hornets.
Only four other NBA teams — the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers — have reached the milestone.
Buddy Hield scored 16 points off the bench to lead the Warriors, who have won four in a row and six of their last seven games to move into the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
Curry didn’t shoot well — 6 of 14, including 2 of 9 behind the arc — although it didn’t matter much against the Hornets, who have lost four in a row and 13 of their last 15 games.
KJ Simpson had 16 points and six rebounds and Seth Curry added 14 points for Charlotte, which played without guard LaMelo Ball.
The Warriors held an on-court ceremony at halftime to celebrate for the 10th anniversary of their 2014-15 championship team.
Takeaways
Hornets: Charlotte committed 24 turnovers that led to 37 points. It’s the eighth time this season that the Hornets have had at least 20 turnovers in a game.
Warriors: Jimmy Butler’s arrival in a trade has rejuvenated the entire franchise and his energy alone has Golden State playing like a legitimate playoff contender.
Key moment
Ball (illness, sore ankle) was ruled out before the game. That made the Hornets’ uphill battle even more challenging.
Key stat
The Warriors scored 41 points in the third quarter, the 11th 40-point quarter this season for the team.
Up next
Hornets: Finish a nine-game road trip against the Mavericks in Dallas on Thursday night.
Warriors: Begin a five-game road trip on Monday night against the Orlando Magic.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press
